Shloka 28
Adhyāya 262: Śabda-brahman, Para-brahman, and the Ethics of Tyāga
Kapila–Syūmaraśmi Saṃvāda
तस्मात् तानृत्विजो लुब्धा याजयन्त्यशुभान् नरान्
tasmāt tān ṛtvijo lubdhā yājayanty aśubhān narān | lobhī ṛtvijaḥ to aise logoṅ kā hī yajña karāte haiṅ, jo aśubha (mokṣa-kī icchā-se rahita) hote haiṅ; śreṣṭha puruṣa to svadharma-kā ācaraṇa karate hue hī prajā-ko svarga-meṅ pahuṅcā dete haiṅ | jājale! yahī socakara merī buddhi bhī sarvatra samāna bhāva hī rakhatī hai ||
Karena itu, para pendeta (ṛtvij) yang tamak memimpin yajña bagi orang-orang semacam itu—berwatak tidak suci, tanpa hasrat akan mokṣa. Namun insan unggul menuntun rakyat menuju surga hanya dengan teguh menjalankan svadharma-nya. Wahai Jājali, dengan pertimbangan demikian, pemahamanku tetap seimbang dan tidak memihak di mana pun.
चुलाधार उवाच
Educational Q&A
Cūlādhāra contrasts outward ritual with inner ethical orientation: priests driven by greed tend to serve people lacking higher aims, whereas the truly noble uplift society through faithful practice of svadharma and an impartial, equal-minded outlook.
In the Cūlādhāra–Jājali discourse of Śānti Parva, Cūlādhāra instructs Jājali by criticizing mercenary priestcraft and asserting that genuine excellence lies in righteous conduct that benefits the community, culminating in the ideal of samāna-bhāva (equanimity).